At Gavi’s global summit in Brussels, the UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced a new £1.25 billion pledge to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to help Gavi in their mission to protect up to 500 million children between 2026-2030 and save up to eight million more lives.

Since 2000, when the UK was a founding member, Gavi has generated $250 billion in economic benefits through reduced death and disability. Gavi now receives investment from 56 countries and over 60 organisations. 19 countries have graduated from Gavi support, including India and Indonesia who have now become donors to Gavi.

In reaction, Romilly Greenhill, CEO of Bond, the UK network for organisations working in international development and humanitarian assistance, said:

Today’s £1.25 billion pledge to Gavi, the Vaccines Alliance, is a welcome step that reaffirms the UK’s role as a committed partner in protecting the world against preventable disease and support childhood vaccinations.

While the pledge is lower than in previous years, it is encouraging to see the UK continuing to take its responsibilities seriously as a co-founder, board member, and longstanding champion of Gavi’s lifesaving work.

Kitty Arie, CEO of Results UK, said:

The creation of Gavi is one of the great global-health innovations of our time, and its success over the last 25 years can and should be counted in the number of lives saved. I am proud that civil-society organisations campaigned around the clock to make sure this summit would be a success, demonstrating that people all over the world care deeply about protecting children and giving them the opportunity of good health and prosperity. Despite the shrinking budget for international development, the UK government heard our call to celebrate and prioritise funding for Gavi as the life-saving, country-led, cost-effective organisation it is.

The funding pledged today is a victory for children, and in this new era – where we need to ensure that we reach the zero-dose children who are most at risk – we look forward to supporting Gavi as it continues to innovate. This must include integrating its work with other global health institutions and ensuring that countries and communities are at the heart of all they do by working closely with civil-society organisations.

Katie Husselby, Director, Action for Global Health, said:

We welcome the UK Government’s £1.25 billion pledge to Gavi—a vital step toward advancing global health equity and protecting millions of children from preventable diseases. Vaccines are a powerful tool to close health gaps, but they need strong health systems and support for marginalised communities.

However, this investment cannot mask the deeper impact of the UK’s ongoing retreat from international aid. Had funding been maintained, the UK’s contribution to Gavi could have saved hundreds of thousands more lives. Continued aid cuts could mean less support for the primary care, nutrition, and community health services that make immunisation truly effective.

We urge the UK Government to maximise this Gavi commitment by also funding other critical health services that ensure immunisation reaches all communities and achieves its full impact.

Adrian Lovett, the ONE Campaign’s Executive Director for the UK, Middle East and Asia Pacific, said:

This is an important pledge from the UK to Gavi, a vital force in the fight against preventable disease. Today’s announcement will save an amazing 1.1 million lives and lead to an incredible 72 million children being immunised around the world. It’s good and right that Britain is backing this lifesaving vaccine programme – and it sends a positive signal about the UK’s future role on the global stage, in line with strong public support for smart aid that protects lives here and abroad.

But despite this good news, we are seeing the harsh impact of the prime minister’s deep cut to overall aid levels. The UK’s contribution to Gavi could have saved almost 400,000 more lives if it had been maintained at the same level as before. And further impossible choices are looming. A reduced but still strong investment in Gavi, as welcome as it is, means less money to educate girls, fight for climate justice, and prevent deadly conflict around the world.

ENDS.